


Leaps and Bounds

by TheWinterCaptain



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Flirty Tony, Insecurities, Jealous Steve, Stuff, Vents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-08
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2018-04-03 09:51:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4096459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWinterCaptain/pseuds/TheWinterCaptain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You're sick of Steve insisting you have feelings for Bucky, when really, you have feelings for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pillows and Vents

“Shut up Steve,” you grinned, throwing a pillow at the super soldier that sat on the edge of your bed. It hit the side of his face with a soft thud and he grinned widely.

 

“That was uncalled for,” he mocked, lobbing it back at you gently.

 

“Really? Because I think you were being unreasonably sassy,” you joked, catching it and hugging it against your chest.

 

“I was stating the obvious,” he said simply, standing up and stretching, his face dropping slightly.

 

“You were making assumptions,” you argued, a smile still playing at your lips. “Where are you going?”

 

“It’s nearly ten o’clock… I was going to go to bed,” he said, yawning lightly. You raised an eyebrow and scoffed.

 

“Your game is weak, Rogers, we’ve got the entire night ahead of us,” you said, leaping off the bed and pushing the pillow into his arms. He frowned at you as you stuck your tongue. He got this cute little look on his face that made you giggle and he furrowed his eyebrows even more.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing,” you said in a sing-song voice, dashing out of the room as quickly as you could. You heard him call after you but you leapt up, grabbing onto the metal beams that hung overhead in the hallway. You dangled above him as he ran out after you, stopping directly below you and looking around.

 

“(Y/N)?”

 

“Boo!” you cried, jumping down from the beam and landing right behind him.

 

“Well that wasn’t fair,” he laughed as you bounced around him.

 

“I don’t play by the rules, Cap,” you taunted, poking him on the nose and hopping onto his back stealthily. You could have sworn you saw him blush and your heart swelled.

 

“You know who else doesn’t play by the rules…” Steve said mockingly, turning his head to look up at you.

 

“Rogers,” you warned, growling under your breath. You felt all sense of light heartedness and airiness leave your body. You were suddenly weighed down.

 

“…Bucky,” he whispered in a pestering tone.

 

“For the last time, I don’t like Bucky!” you hissed, slapping Steve’s shoulder between each word. You jumped off his back and glared at him.

 

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry!” he said, turning to face you with his hands up. You twisted around and sprinted away from him, a sudden anger sweeping over your emotions. You were tired of people thinking they know you better than you know yourself. Steve was just kidding but it struck a nerve. You heard him calling your name but you jumped up, kicking off the wall and latching onto a ventilator perpendicular to the roof.

 

“(Y/N) come back, please,” Steve shouted, following you on foot until you yanked the door of the vent open and crawled inside. The disfigured metal crashed to the floor with a clang and you disappeared from his view. You made your way through the vent, taking deep breaths as you went. Your face was red and flushed and your knuckles white. You shouldn’t have snapped at him.

 

“Hey, ocupado,” a familiar voice said loftily. You had reached a larger area of the vent system, one where you didn’t have to crouch down as much. In front of you sat Clint, leaning against the wall of the vent indifferently, sharpening what looked like a home-made, wooden arrow with a pocket knife.

 

“Hey Clint,” you sighed, delicately sitting next to him, aware that the structure around you wasn’t exactly safe.

 

“What’s wrong, kiddo?” he asked, seeing the look of frustration on your face. Before you had a chance to answer, he pulled out a small bag of marshmallows from his pocket and offered you one. You gave a small smile and plucked one from the bag, throwing it into your mouth smoothly.

 

“Steve thinks I like Bucky,” you finally said, swallowing thickly. Clint looked at you and rolled his eyes.

 

“He’s even more clueless than me,” Clint commented, rifling through his coat pocket to find a silver hip flask. He put it in your hand and you raised an eyebrow at him.

 

“Really, Clint?”

 

“It’s coffee,” he said casually, snatching it back and taking a mouthful from it. “Ah, that’s the stuff, but yeah, you need to make it clear to him that Bucky’s not the one you like.”

 

“Oh come on! You know I can’t do that,” you said defensively, remembering your notorious past of being able to snap someone’s neck easily but telling someone you liked them was like pulling feathers from dolphin: impossible.

 

“Then suffer in silence, my friend, now if you’ll excuse me, you’re interrupting my alone time,” he smirked, gesturing for you to leave.

 

“All of your time is alone time, Clint,” you snapped playfully, crawling over his legs to a passage that sloped slightly downwards. You slid down, feet first. “Later, loser,” you called as you slipped down the cool metal. When it eventually levelled out, you opened a nearby grate and leapt out, landing gracefully on soft carpet. You took a moment to glance around at your surroundings before freezing.

 

“Uh… hey (Y/N),” Bucky said, a look of surprise on his face. That wasn’t what you were distracted by, however. He was dressed only in loose fitting pants and had a towel hanging loosely around his neck. You flushed brightly and opened your mouth, trying not to let your eyes wander over his bare chest.

 

“S-sorry, um… vents,” you stuttered, pointing up and running out of the room as quickly as possible. You slammed the door shut behind you and leaned against it, breathing heavily. You squeezed your eyes shut and pinched the bridge of your nose. You heard someone clear their throat beside you and you groaned internally. You peered out of one eye and sighed. Steve stood near you, looking sheepish but suspicious.

 

“Hey (Y/N)…” he said awkwardly. “So what are you doing outside of Bucky’s room?”

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” you muttered under your breath, opening your eyes fully.

 

“Uh, what?” Steve said, frowning innocently. You gritted your teeth and opened your mouth to reply but the door opened behind you and stumbled back. A pair of hands, one human, one metal, caught you before you toppled to the ground. You stiffened as Bucky steadied you into an upright position. Thankfully, when you turned around, he had put on a shirt.

 

You thought you heard Steve whisper “oh” before he turned to walk down the hall. You sighed and smiled grimly at Bucky.

 

“He thinks I like you,” Bucky said suddenly. You looked up at him and felt a knot tie in your stomach. “But he’s a good guy, always puts what he thinks is best for others before what’s best for him.”

 

“Wait… are you saying…Steve likes me?” you asked, piecing together Bucky’s words. He smiled and nodded.

 

“He’s too shy to admit it, but if I were you, I’d go for it,” Bucky advised, patting your shoulder and retreating into his room as you stared at where Steve had rounded a corner at the end of the hall. A million questions raced through your head, fire racing through your veins.

 

“Steve…” you murmured, paralyzed but bursting with energy simultaneously. It was as if someone had ran a needle over every inch of your skin, just enough to make you shiver. “No,” you said determinedly. You weren’t letting him get away this time. Your limbs thawed out and you set into action, sprinting down the hall faster than you could have thought. You couldn’t think of where he could have gone, so you ran to his room. You skidded to a halt outside and knocked rapidly on the door. He opened it after a few moments and the tension in the air was already too intense.

 

“(Y/N), why aren’t you with Bucky?” he said. His voice almost concealed the melancholy that hid in its undertones, but not quite. It was damn-near heartbreaking.

 

“I… Steve, I don’t want to be with him! I-I want to be with…” you cut yourself off, blushing furiously. You looked down at your feet and wiped your hands on your jeans, mentally attempting to build up confidence. You felt a strong, warm hand touch your wrist and your head snapped up, meeting Steve’s soft gaze.

 

“Who?” he asked gingerly.

 

“You,” you whispered breathlessly. His blue eyes widened with surprise and he was silent. You stared at each other for a long while until his hand slid into yours.

 

“Since when?” he asked quietly, all pensiveness gone from his voice was replaced with hopefulness.

 

“Since the day I met you,” you smiled meekly. You took a hesitant step towards him and he suddenly pulled you close to him. His other hand rested on your cheek, delicate and comforting. He leaned in agonizingly slowly. You placed a trembling hand on his chest, just lightly enough so that he didn’t take it as a sign that you were pushing him away. His lips met yours in static-filled urgency, and all gravity, air, and life was at a standstill. It took all of your being to pull away from him but the serene look on his face was just as sweet as the kiss.

 

“I never thought I’d get to do that,” he admitted, his fingers intertwining with yours. You kissed his blushing cheek and grinned.

 

“Do you finally understand why I got so mad when you said I liked Bucky?” you teased.

 

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that, I guess I’m not that intuitive,” he grinned. “I shouldn’t have pushed you so much.”

 

“The only reason I got so mad was because I couldn’t express how I felt about you,” you said, only realising how close the two of your really were.

 

“I’m glad you found a way,” he said, kissing your briefly on the lips again.

 

“It’s late,” you said, leaning your forehead against his sturdy chest. You felt it rise and fall with each shuddering breath and closed your eyes.

 

“Do… do you want to stay the night?”

 

“I’d love to.”


	2. Falters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so there is a tiny bit of "Clint and Bucky besties" with the reader but not as much as there should be, I just couldn't think of a way that could work in this particular chapter but there will be more in the future!

Nothing heated or imperative happened that night. You woke up, tangled in sheets, hand in hand with Steve. You caught him staring at you with unwavering eyes and smiled.

 

“Good morning,” you whispered, leaning back slightly just in case you had morning breath. Steve gave a lopsided grin and squeezed your hand softly. He was blurry, sleep still in your eyes, but you didn’t have to see him as clearly anymore.

 

“Breakfast?” he said, stifling a yawn. You always found him slightly intimidating, but seeing him with mussed up hair and bleary eyes made your heart twitch in an unfamiliar way. “What?”

 

“Nothing,” you smiled, kissing him quickly on the cheek and clambering out of the bed. You stretched your arms up in the air and turned to see Steve blushing.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing,” he teased, standing up and outstretching his hand. You took it and he led you down to the kitchen. All the way down the hall, you felt your face redden and your hands get slightly clammy, terrified at the ridicule you would endure from the rest of the team. Surprisingly, the kitchen was almost completely deserted, the exception being Clint, who stood by the counter drinking coffee straight from the pot.

 

“Hey Katniss,” you said flippantly. He looked up and lowered the pot cautiously, narrowing his eyes at yours and Steve’s hands laced together.

 

“Well well, what have we here,” he taunted with a smirk. You poked your tongue out and slipped out of Steve’s grip to pinch Clint behind the arms. “Ah, fuck, okay I’ll stop,” he subsided, wincing as you flicked his ear. “But if I were you, I’d keep it a secret for a little while, for your own sakes.”

 

“Why?” Steve asked, his face dropping. You scurried back over and took his hand again.

 

“Unless you want an endless supply of taunting from Tony, and probably Natasha, you should ease into it slowly,” Clint advised, gulping down the rest of the coffee. You grimaced at the mere sight but shrugged. You looked up at Steve and nodded ruefully.

 

“Maybe just kind of drop hints for a week? Anyway, it’ll be kind of fun, like our own little secret,” you grinned playfully, tracing circles on his arm with the tips of your fingers.

 

“Can I tell Bucky?”

 

“Sure, but that’s it, just us four,” you said, leaning against him. He lifted a hand to your cheek tenderly.

 

“Hold on, let me throw up this coffee,” Clint remarked with a disgruntled face. You ignored him and Steve caught your lips in a quick kiss before stepping back.

 

“I better go get ready actually, see you later,” you said, clutching his hand for just a second longer before waving goodbye to Clint and jogging breezily through to the halls to your room. You hopped in the shower and brushed your teeth at the same time, eager to spend as little time as possible away from Steve. You quickly dressed and stepped back into your bedroom. You stopped to look at your wall, a flash of colour catching your eye. It was covered in photos of you and the Avengers: one of you, Steve, and Bucky at the park, of Clint giving you a piggy back ride, of you and Tony putting whipped cream on Thor’s sleeping face, even one of you and Natasha dressed in Totoro onesies. You remembered those days clearly, your smile stretching from ear to ear in each photo; you could almost hear the laughter.

 

“Hey,” you heard a low voice say. You looked up to see Bucky standing at your doorway.

 

“Hi Bucky,” you smiled softly, returning your gaze to your wall of memories. He silently drew himself up behind you and peered over your shoulder.

 

“I remember that,” he said, pointing at a picture of you in a hospital bed with Bucky and Steve sitting next to you having a thumb war.

 

“When I broke my ankle and Steve carried my around for a week because I hated the wheelchair,” you reminisced fondly.

 

“He told me,” Bucky remarked suddenly.

 

“I figured he would, but I didn’t think he would that fast,” you said, turning around and grinning. Bucky pulled you into a hug.

 

“I’m so happy for you guys,” he said and you knew he meant it.

 

~

 

You walked into the common room to find the whole team lounging about, strewn across couches and chairs casually.

 

“Hey (Y/N), we’re watching some movies, you in?” Tony called, pulling out a snuggie seemingly out of nowhere.

 

“Sure!” you said, looking around for an empty spot. There was one beside Steve and were about to take it but Tony flopped down beside him, so you sat on the ground by Steve’s feet. Tony pressed play and it wasn’t long until you realised you had seen the movie, so you leaned against the couch comfortably.

 

As the film played, the light faded from the room, and the later it got, the more you unconsciously shifted towards Steve, like some kind of gravitational pull. Your head had fallen against his thigh and he had manoeuvred himself in a way in which he had his hand on your shoulder without it looking awkward or uncomfortable. His touch felt oddly comforting, like a hot cup of tea on a winter’s day.

 

“(Y/N), I’m leaving, do you want my seat?” Clint asked, drawing you back from dazed contentment. He looked at you with a smirk, “Or would you rather sit on the floor?” You glared at him and heaved yourself up reluctantly, shooting Steve a small smile before throwing yourself down on another couch next to Bucky.

 

“Goodnight,” he said in a mocking tone and you resisted the urge to flip him off. Everyone else merely glanced in your direction as the exchange took place but continued watching the movie. Although you had a blanket and were surrounded by cushions, you just couldn’t seem to get comfortable. You stole glances at Steve and saw him sitting stiffly with his jaw clenched. He looked over at you and visibly relaxed; a half-smile at his lips. You blushed and looked down at your hands. When you looked up again he was restraining a smile, his cheeks rosy. You felt the couch move beside you and turned to see Bucky chuckling lightly to himself.

 

“You two are too cute,” he said, too loudly.

 

“I know, but can you tell Cap that? He doesn’t believe we make a nice couple,” Tony piped up, attempting to throw his arm around Steve’s shoulder. You burst out laughing and Steve wriggled out from under Iron Man’s not-so-Iron grip. He mouthed “five minutes” to you and left the room after you inclined your head slightly and winked.

 

“Hey (Y/N),” Bucky whispered, leaning towards you like he had an important secret.

 

“What is it, Bucky?” you said quietly, turning slightly so you could hear him better.

 

“Well I’ve been getting on the internet more and I found this phrase,” he said, completely deadpan.

 

“And that is?”

 

“You and Steve… I ship it.”

 

You couldn’t hold back a snort and Natasha looked over at you from the other side of Bucky with a smirk on her face. You shook your head, hardly containing your laugh as you stood up.

 

“Stay off tumblr,” you warned with a grin, jogging out to Steve. He stood just outside the door, hands in pockets, leaning against the wall.

 

“You look like you’re about to drop a 90’s single on MTV,” you joked, standing in front of him and looking up. He easily towered over you.

 

“MTV… Music… Television?” he asked after pausing to think. You nodded and he pulled his hands out of his pockets and setting them on your waist, pulling you closer.

 

“Look who’s catching up!” You grinned and wrapped your arms around his neck. He caught your lips in his, hesitantly at first, then hungrily. You reached up on the tips of your toes, arching towards him.

 

“Was that the first test?” he murmured, barely breaking his lips away from yours.

 

“I think so.”

 

“I didn’t like it.”

 

“Me neither.” You kissed him again, lightly like air, and dropped down, pressing your forehead against his muscular chest. “Six more days.” You stood like that in silence for just a few moments before -

 

“Will you go on a date with me?” he asked, and you raised your head. He was looking down at you with his blue eyes full of fire and earth.

 

“Of course,” you whispered, blinking widely. “Wait; does this sneaking around mean we can’t stay in the same room?” Steve blushed and took a hand from your waist, rubbing the back of his neck, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. “No, I mean, like we did last night.”

 

“Oh, I mean, I don’t see why not,” he said quietly, taking your hand in his, holding it like a frail glass ball. You stepped away from him, leading him down the hall, latching onto his hand tighter so that he wouldn’t let go. When you reached your room, Steve threw himself onto the bed, his head on the pillows. You smiled to yourself every time he did something so comfortable and familiar, like he could relax around you. It was rare but welcome. You lay down perpendicular to him, your head on his stomach.

 

“Steve…”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“How come you never told me you liked me… I mean we’ve been friends for almost a year,” you asked, hesitantly.

 

“I never really thought I had a shot with you,” he answered indifferently. You turned to look at him sceptically, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Really? Have you ever heard yourself talk? Or looked in the mirror?” you challenged, half laughing at the fact that Captain freaking America didn’t think he had a shot with you.

 

“I always thought you had a thing for Bucky, I was used to it, him being the one girls liked,” Steve said, staring up at the ceiling, his voice hard to decode.

 

“Bucky’s a good looking guy sure, but I just don’t feel that way about him,” you tried to explain, tip-toeing through any uncovered landmines that lay under the surface of the conversation.

 

“So…I-if you didn’t know us, would you have chosen Bucky?” You sat up and stared at him for a few seconds.

 

“Steve, I don’t like you because I think you’re attractive, don’t get me wrong, I do think that…” you clarified, trying not to trip over your words, “but you’ll always be the guy who carried me when I broke my ankle, and told me stories about your past, and made stupid jokes to cheer me up, and brought me soup when I was sick. You’re funny, and brave, and selfless, and you’re the kindest person I’ve ever met, so don’t you ever doubt yourself. The truth is, I never thought in a million years _I_ would have a shot with _you_ ,” you admitted, almost gasping for air after rushing it all out. Steve gaped at you in shock, his face void of expression as he comprehended what you said.

 

“(Y/N)… I had no idea you felt that way…” he started, reaching for your hand. “I’m sorry, I should have never presumed…I…”

 

“Shut up Steve,” you grinned, kissing him quickly. “You worry too much; you’re starting to act your actual age.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steve is my baby <3  
> x


	3. Damned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one isn't that long but I realised it's been way too long since I've updated this one and I couldn't sleep so I was like "fuck it, updating this shit man"
> 
> Anyway, enjoy my lovelies   
> xx

You groaned and squinted at the wavering clock through sleep-deprived eyes. It was nearly 6:30. You and Steve had stayed up until three talking, about your childhood and his past, about everything and anything you could think of. Not to be cliché, but it felt like it had lasted forever, one of those talks that fluctuated from serious to hilarious in seconds and back again, comfortable and easy. You had fallen asleep with your head on Steve’s chest, his fingers tracing circles along your back.

 

“Steve,” you whispered, rolling over and patting him on his chest, which was completely bare, not that you minded at all. “I have to go.” He opened his eyes slowly and smiled. His arm had been underneath you and he curled you towards him.

 

“Can’t we stay here a little longer?” he tried to persuade you, kissing the top of your head.

 

“I wish. We could sneak out for dinner though?” you suggested, throwing your arm over his stomach before you had to leave.

 

“Sounds like a plan,” he grinned, running a hand through his messy hair. You blushed as the muscles in his arms flexed. How you ever managed to get a god-like man like him into your bed, you would never know.

 

“You can hang around here for a while if you want,” you said, sitting up and yawning, resisting the urge to calm down your hair, which was probably like a bird’s nest, as per usual.

 

“I should probably go too,” he said ruefully, sitting up at the edge of the bed and pulling on a t-shirt. You bit your lip at the site of his bare, toned back and sighed happily. He glanced over his shoulder and blood rushed to his cheeks. Locks of blonde hair stuck up all over the place on his head in an adorable way. He stood up, wearing a pair of loose pants from yesterday, and gathered up his shoes in one hand. “See you later,” he whispered, giving you a one-armed hug and quick peck on the lips. He tip-toed out of the room and you gave a small wave before throwing yourself down on the bed again.

 

“That man will be the death of me,” you whispered to yourself, staring up at the ceiling, rows of vents lining it randomly. There was a soft tapping on metal and you frowned. “Clint?” you called, sitting up and narrowing your eyes at the grate just above the end of the bed. It unlatched from the other side and swung open. Hawkeye himself swung down and landed at the foot of your bed, looking like he had been awake for hours.

  
“God Birdbrain, how long have you been there,” you growled, crossing your arms and glaring at him. You were thankful at least that he didn’t make a guest appearance while Steve was still there.

 

“Just arrived when your soldier left,” he said defensively, putting his palms out to you. You grabbed a pillow from behind him and fired it. It would have hit him right on his stupid head if he hadn’t ducked. “You guys are just too cute.”

 

“Can it, Katniss, or I’ll get Nat after you.” Surprisingly, he flinched at this but schooled his features to an amused smirk.

 

“Threaten me all you want kid, but I’ve got your weakness now,” he winked, jumping onto the bed on his knees. He fell forward onto his stomach and propped his chin on his hands, his elbows holding his head up. “So, like, are you two, like, a thing?” he asked in a stereotypical teenage girl voice, twirling a non-existent strand of hair with his finger. “Did you guys totally, like, go _all the way_ -oof, hey!” You smacked the side of his head with the back of your hand.

 

“You’re such a dork,” you laughed, crossing your legs.

 

“You love it though.”

 

“How could I not,” you mock swooned. Clint snorted and rolled off the bed and landed like a cat on the floor.

 

“Breakfast?”

 

“Sounds good,” you agreed, hopping off the bed and pulling on a pair of socks and a hoodie. You walked out the door and Clint followed you, but you stopped as soon as you got into the hall and Clint bumped straight into your back.

 

“Do my eyes deceive me, or are we witnessing a walk of shame?” a taunting voice called. You groaned and rolled your eyes. Tony was leaning against the wall with a knowing smirk, and Thor stood beside him looking overly happy.

 

“Brother Clint, Lady (Y/N) is quite a catch! What a tremendous occasion!” Thor’s voice thundered as he pulled Clint into a bone-crushing hug. You could have sworn you heard Clint let out a high pitched whine but you shook your head.

 

“Hey! I am _not_ sleeping with Barton!” you yelped, stomping a foot on the ground.

 

“That’s exactly what someone who was sleeping with Barton would say,” Tony countered, grinning manically, looking like this was the best thing to happen all week.

 

“Oh please, everyone knows he’s after Nat,” you smirked, watching Thor step back from Clint and grasp him by the shoulders, lifting him a foot off the floor.

 

“Does she speak the truth? Are you using Lady (Y/N) whilst your heart desires that of Lady Natasha?” Thor asked in a hurt tone. He looked from you to Clint, looking genuinely concerned.

 

“Thor, let’s face the facts, Clint’s not _that_ good, there’s no could have gotten (Y/N),” Tony admitted.

 

“My apologies, Brother Clint,” Thor boomed, setting the archer down on the ground.

 

“Damn right,” he muttered, brushing his shoulders down. You grabbed Tony’s and Thor’s arms and dragged them down the hall, leaving Clint mumbling something like “I so could get her if I wanted her”.

 

~

 

“See you later guys,” you called into the kitchen, where the Avengers had taken up residence for the past hour. You ushered Steve out the door as fast as possible.

 

“Hold up!”

 

“What?” you stuck your head back in the door and saw Tony looking at you almost disapprovingly.

 

“You two aren’t going anywhere.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Well as you know…” Tony began, putting his hands behind his back and pacing the length of the kitchen, “I, naturally, have taken on the role of the mother hen here.” Bruce, who had been hunched in the corner, pinched the bridge of his nose as the rest of the group let out a collective moan. “Hush my babies,” Tony continued, “it’s our beloved Thor’s last night in earth, or Midgard,” he winked at Thor and the god grinned, a full set of white teeth almost blinding you, “well, for a month, so it’s only right that we have a big family dinner before he leaves.”

 

“Uh… is that really necessary, Tony?” Bruce queried, looking distressed at the thought of a loud dinner with the rest of the gang.

 

“Uh yes, Brucey dear, you’re the father of the group so I suggest you get your act together,” Tony chided sardonically.

 

“Does this mean you two are married?” you snorted, walking into the room fully, Steve following soon after, standing quite close to you.

 

“No,” Bruce stated quickly, looking slightly alarmed.

 

“Honey, not in front of the kids,” Tony stage whispered to him with a glare.

 

“Are mommy and daddy getting a divorce?” Clint said quietly in a childish voice, pouting and crossing his arms.

 

“Great, you’ve upset the baby,” Natasha snapped sarcastically, cradling Clint’s head in her arms. Bucky, who had been standing silently beside them, raised an eyebrow and smirked.

 

“So when do the festivities begin?” Thor asked loudly, banging his fist on the kitchen counter in good-nature. Tony shooed them all out of the kitchen into the dining room that they rarely ever used, with a table that easily seated 12 people with room to spare.

 

You sat across from Steve near the top of the table, with Thor on one side of you. Tony burst into the room ten minutes later, followed by several people that you had never seen before who were in black catering outfits, all carrying large plates of food and glasses full of wine. It was all laid out in front of everyone and the people scuttled out of the room as quickly as they had emerged. Tony took the seat at the head of the table between you and Steve and raised his glass. You had all learned not to question his sudden extravagance, this type of thing happened more often than most would think.

 

“Eat up, bitches!” he exclaimed before gulping down half of his wine. You shot a look at Steve with a sly smile and he winked at you. You bit your lip to hold back a smile and began piling food onto your plate like everyone else.

 

Four glasses of wine and two helpings later, everyone (other than Steve, Bucky, and Thor) was slightly tipsy and extremely full.

 

“Psst, (Y/N),” Tony hissed, ushering you closer to him. You leaned forward, conscious of Steve’s eyes following the two of you.

 

“What is it Tony?”

 

“It’s a good thing you and Clint aren’t banging,” he whispered, or at least he meant to, it came out louder than he had anticipated, but everyone was busy chatting and laughing to notice the exchange.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“I could do it better than him,” he slurred as seductively as his drunken state could muster, his hand grazing your thigh and sliding up towards your hip. You were moments from screaming “fuck off” at him before a fist suddenly connected with Tony’s face, hard.

 

“What the-” Tony was thrown of his chair (or his throne, as he often liked to call it) and onto the floor in a heap. You turned to see Steve standing on the opposite side of his chair, panting heavily, fists clenched, eyes flaring with anger.

 

“Damn…” you heard Bucky whisper.

 

“What the fuck, Rogers?!” Tony shouted, a large bruise already forming at the side of his face. All eyes were on Steve but he kept a steady glare on Tony. You glanced around at the other Avengers nervously, not sure how you would get out of this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dang, what's gonna happen? Actually I haven't even decided so..  
> Quick Poll: should Steve and the lovely reader get caught now or just play it off and keep it a secret for a while?


	4. Close Calls

Complete silence (aside from Tony’s steady flow of curses that he muttered under his breath) permeated the room. You stared at Steve with a gaping mouth. You were snapped out of your trance when a slight scraping of a chair caught your attention. Bruce stood up sheepishly and slipped out of the room without much notice, which was probably for the best.

 

Bucky was standing now, a fierce, glinting metal hand grasping Steve’s arm, holding him steady. It was then Steve realised what he done. He stepped back, looking flustered, his face burning red with both embarrassment and lingering anger.

  
“Steve…” you said pointedly, watching him unclench his fists and straighten himself.

 

“I…Stark, that is no way to talk to a lady,” said Steve in a matter-of-fact way. You could have sworn you heard Clint snicker, and you glanced over to see Natasha hitting his shoulder harshly with a stern look.

 

“Jesus Capsicle, was that any reason to punch me?” Tony muttered spitefully, staggering into an upright position. “Besides, I’d hardly call (Y/N) a lady.” Before you could stop yourself, your fist swung out and clocked him on the nose with a _crack_ and he stumbled back.

 

“Oh fuck,” he spluttered, dark streams of blood spilling from his nose and into his mouth. He spat and pinched his nose, tilting his head back.

 

“You’re not exactly helping the whole ‘lady-like’ case, (Y/N),” Bucky remarked with a smirk, which quickly dropped when you shot him a glare. He flinched and gripped Steve a little tighter.

 

“(Y/N) would make a fine warrior on Asgard!” Thor boomed, not exactly sensing the tension that hung thickly in the air. He stepped out and stomped towards Tony, sweeping him up into his arms.

 

“I can walk, Thor,” Tony grunted almost unintelligibly, his mouth now filled with blood. But he didn’t struggle as the thunder God rocked Tony like a baby and carried him out of the room. You glanced around at Steve, Bucky, Clint, and Natasha.

 

“Well, it’s not really an Avengers’ dinner unless someone punches Tony in the face,” Natasha said with an almost-laugh. “I think (Y/N)’s proved that she can take care of herself, Steve.” She smirked this time and stalked out of the room, with Clint soon following her. He winked at you on his way out and you pinched the back of his arm as he passed.

 

“Ow, damn,” you heard him complain after he was out the door. Bucky let go of Steve’s arm and raised an eyebrow.

 

“Well Steve, I never pegged you for jealous type,” Bucky chastised with a laugh. You suddenly felt completely exhausted, and your hand was beginning to throb with pain. You cracked your neck and yawned, narrowing your eyes at a grinning Bucky. He took the hint and patted Steve on the back before walking out of the room, _extremely slowly._

 

“So obvious,” you thought you heard him murmur to himself as he left.

 

You dropped into your chair and sighed, holding your wrist as the ache started to spread. Your knuckles were already starting to bruise, your skin painted with dark blues and faint greens. Steve knelt down beside you and took your hand in both his. He ran his fingers lightly over the delicate skin and grimaced.

 

“You didn’t have to do that,” you whispered, watching him frown at your hand. You sighed and grabbed his hands, lifting him up to your eye level. Your heart thumped loudly in your chest, the way it always did when he was near you. His face softened and you put your good hand on the side of his face. His skin was so warm and inviting.

 

“I couldn’t control myself,” he admitted, the movement of his jaw sending vibrations through your fingertips. You leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips softly. A spark of electricity always seemed to ignite when your lips touched his. He leaned in against you, standing up and pulling you with him. When you broke away, you bit your lip and smiled. He pulled you into a hug, resting his chin on your head.

 

“We’re going to have to be more carefully, aren’t we?” you said quietly, breathing in the fresh, clean scent that always lingered on Steve’s clothes. As muscular as he was, he was also a ridiculously good hugger.

 

“Five days?”

 

“Five days.”

 

~

 

You had gone to your room without Steve last night, which you deeply regretted. Your night was drenched in tossing, turning, and one particular fitful nightmare that you couldn’t remember when you woke up. You slept for about three hours at most and dragged yourself into the shower to wash away the remnants of the nightmare that had left your skin crawling. By the time you had gotten dressed and had walked to the gym, you were practically skipping at the thought of seeing Steve.

 

When you walked in, your face dropped. All the Avengers were working in there, except for Bruce. Surprisingly, Thor hadn’t left yet, and he was busy sparring with Steve. You leaned against a wall and watched them throw kicks and punches with brute force. The sunlight bursting through the large window was cast along the shimmering sweat on Steve’s arms and face. You flinched at the sound of a voice next to you.

 

“Just enjoying the view?” Clint asked with a smirk.

 

“It doesn’t take a genius to make that observation,” you scoffed. You were a little too elated to see the god and the super-soldier brawling (in good nature of course), but you were even more secretly delighted when they finished and Steve made his way towards you. He rubbed the sweat of his face with a towel and grinned when he saw you. You felt this fluttering in your stomach, realising you were the reason for the goofy look on his face.

 

“Hey Steve, you think you can go another round?” you asked innocently as you caught Tony’s eye from across the room. His face was sporting a large welt on his nose but other than that he looked alright, in fact, he looked like he was about to make his way over. You groaned internally until you realised Thor was already thumping towards Tony, clapping him on the back and laughing.

 

“Sure,” Steve said, drawing your attention back to him and his adorably messy hair. It must be all the sweat and fighting. You followed him out the area with a large square mat and stood opposite to him, taking a defensive stance. You glanced around first, seeing that Clint had distracted Natasha and Bucky was talking to an overly-animate Thor and a snarky-looking Tony.

 

“Give me all you’ve got, Captain,” you challenged with a wink. Steve barely had the chance to blush as he charged towards you, knowing he didn’t have to go easy on you. When he was about a foot away, you swiftly dodged him, grabbing his shoulder and easily swinging yourself onto his back. You wrapped your legs around his waist and clung onto him tightly. _There goes your racing heart again._

 

“I didn’t think I’d get this close to you so soon,” you whispered in his ear. You felt him chuckle underneath you and suddenly, an arm had reached back and pulled you off him, almost knocking you to the ground. Steve caught you just before you hit the mat, clasping your wrist. You wriggled free and jumped back two steps from him. He was standing with his back to everyone in the room. You peered around him to see that the rest of the Avengers were too absorbed in conversations to notice. You ran towards Steve and halted right in front of him. You were small enough to be easily concealed by his bulky frame.

 

“What are you doing?” he whispered, as you put your hands on his chest, leaning towards him slowly.

 

“Taking risks,” you murmured sultrily, peeping over his shoulder on your tip-toes, just to check if anyone was watching; they weren’t. You kissed him, _another spark_ , and let your hands wander down to his toned stomach and played with the hem of his t-shirt. You broke the brief kiss to see him blushing madly as you slid one hand under his shirt and back up his stomach. You were suddenly aware that the voices around you had gotten louder and closer.

 

You quickly pulled your hand out from under his shirt. You grasped his wrist in both your hands and turned in towards him, using all your weight to flip him over your shoulder and onto the ground. That wouldn’t have worked in a million years if Steve hadn’t been so distracted.

 

“Well done, Lady (Y/N),” Thor boomed, suddenly behind you. You turned and grinned at the Norse god happily. “You never fail to impress!”

 

“I’m gonna miss you Thor,” you said, a little sadly. Honestly he was the biggest form of comedic relief, and a big teddy bear.

 

“I shall return soon, do not fret,” he beamed, pulling you into a bear hug. Steve was standing with a small smile on his face when you pulled away. He went to shake Thor’s hand but Thor ignored him and gave him a gigantic hug instead. You stifled a laugh as Steve stood frozen for a moment before clapping the god on the back.

 

“See you in a month, big guy,” he said, nodding as Thor grinned and turned to walk out of the gym.

 

“Aw, cute,” you said, punching Steve in the arm lightly. Knowing him, he probably didn’t even notice.

 

“We better go see him off.” The two of you followed the rest of the gang out of the gym and outside to one of the balconies nearby, hanging at the back of the group. Steve stood extremely close to you, not that you minded. You shuddered happily when he put his hand on the small of your back as you walked. You looked up at him and couldn’t hold back a smile, his blue eyes looking down at you. He glanced up and a second later he pecked you quickly on the cheek. Blood spread under your skin from where his lips had touched your skin, and you sighed happily.

 

You hated and loved this secret more and more as the week continued, but you weren’t even half way through this day. You didn’t know how long you were going to be able to control yourself for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure when I'll get to update on this and my other fic going (I'M GOING TO AC/DC ON WEDNESDAY!!)  
> anyway, enjoy kittens <3 xx


	5. Twister

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES I'VE FINALLY UPDATED THIS!! It's taken me forever to get back into the swing of writing again, and I won't be able to write as much as I'd like after next week, back to my last year of school!! Anyway hope this is enough to keep you going until the next update!

You threw yourself on one of the many couches of the common room next to Clint as he rested his legs across your lap. You groaned as Tony strutted over, looking suspiciously elated for someone with a busted nose.

 

“Alright Iron Ass, what do you want?” you smiled sweetly.

 

“Well I’m giving you a chance to apologise properly, you won’t even have to say the words,” Tony smirked, his hands behind his back holding some kind of box. You glanced at Clint who just shrugged. You were totally going to regret asking.

 

“How?” you said eventually with a defeated sigh. Tony grinned and shoved the box at you. _Crap._ “Twister, really Tony?”

 

“It’s an iconic game okay, come on, let’s play!”

 

“Fine… but only if everyone else plays too,” you agreed, pushing Clint’s legs off you and jumping off the couch. Just then, Steve, Bucky, and Natasha walked in, one after another. You blushed and broke eye contact with Steve after only a split second.

 

“Hey guys, want to play Twister?” Clint called, ushering them over. Nat rolled her eyes and the two super soldiers frowned, Bucky crossed his arms, looking as menacing as always, although you knew he was a big softie. After Tony explained the rules, they both cautiously agreed to play.

 

“I’ll spin,” Natasha piped up, grabbing the board before anyone could object.

 

“Where’s Bruce?” Bucky asked, watching everyone stretch out for the oncoming game.

 

“Do you really want to be caught tangled up  with him when he hulks out?” you smirked, slipping off your shoes and setting up the mat. Bucky shrugged and followed suit. “There can only really be four people on at a time so…who’s up?”

 

“Dibs!” Tony and Clint cried at the same time. You rolled your eyes and grabbed Steve’s arm, pulling him next to you at one end of the mat. And so it began. The first few moves consisted of everyone moving their feet to different colours, until eventually you had to put a hand down and Tony kept trying to look at your ass. You were three seconds away from swiping a kick at his leg when Steve’s turn came around and he had to bend over you and put his hand down on the other side, which conveniently blocked Tony’s view.

 

“Well Cap I didn’t think I’d be under you so soon,” you whispered just loud enough for him to hear you. He stumbled, blushing furiously as he tried not to fall on top of you, not that you would have minded that much. You were about to murmur something else when Clint slammed his hand right on the circle under your face and wiggled out from underneath Tony.

 

“Evening,” he grinned up at you and Steve mischievously.

 

“Uh Katniss, could you please get your butt out of my face?” Tony grumbled, grimacing and turning his head away from Clint. “Romanoff can you spin the god damn board already!”

 

“Right hand on green,” Nat said with an amused smile. Bucky watched intensely, probably trying to find some kind of strategy to winning.

 

“You’re killing me!” Tony wailed, stretching his right hand across the mat, just barely reaching the green circle with his fingertips.

 

“(Y/N), right hand red,” Nat instructed, spinning the dial with boredom. You grinned, flipping around swiftly so that your stomach pressed against Steve’s and you were face to face with him.

 

“This just got interesting,” Bucky muttered, leaning forward with a smirk. You turned slightly to scowl at him before twisting back to face Steve again.

 

“Hey,” he whispered with a soft smile, his warm breath tickling your nose. He smelled like peppermint and aftershave.

 

“This game is torture,” you murmured, trying not to focus on how close the two of you were.

 

“Steve, left foot green,” Natasha’s voice rang through your ears and you flinched. Steve, who had been balancing on his right hand, threw his leg over you and took his new position with both of his feet on green and his hand on a yellow circle next to it, leaving him looking like he was doing a one-handed push up. He was no longer hovering above you, meaning you didn’t have to control your hormones anymore. Natasha was just about to call out Clint’s turn when Tony slipped, his face crushing against the floor and his arm catching Clint’s wrist on the way down. The marksman flipped onto his back and landed on Tony’s arm with a crunch.

 

“Ow…” Tony’s barely audible voice sounded. You giggled and took Steve’s hand as he pulled the two of you up.

 

“Well that was fun,” you laughed, helping Clint up and watching Tony lie on the floor as if he was having an existential crisis.

 

“My turn,” Bucky announced, standing up and dragging Tony off the mat. You took the board off Natasha and, much to her disdain, pushed her towards the game.

 

“Oh Widow is playing? I’m back in,” Tony gave a toothy grin and miraculously recovered and joined the game, soon followed by Clint. Steve took at seat next to you, his knee touching yours, and smiled.

 

“Bucky, left foot blue,” you said absentmindedly as Steve slipped his hand into yours. You felt your heart thrumming a little faster in your chest. You balanced the board on yours and Steve’s knees, covering your entwined hands as you spun the dial.

 

“Nat, right hand yellow,” you called. You barely took your eyes away from Steve’s as the four Avengers began to get tangled together. When you did glance their way, Bucky somehow had Clint in an accidental headlock with his left arm and Tony was doing the splits next to a very comfortable looking Natasha, who somehow only had two limbs on the mat. Just as Nat had to bend over Tony and stick her hand between Bucky and Clint, you slipped your hand out of Steve’s and pulled out your phone.

 

“Say cheese,” you grinned, taking a picture of them.

 

“What?” Bucky cried, leaning too much to the right and falling on top of Clint. Natasha snorted and threw her foot back, hitting Tony square in the chest and knocking him down with a thud. You took another picture of a smug Natasha standing triumphantly amongst the pile of her defeated opponents.

 

“Okay, that’s enough for tonight,” you declared, getting up off the couch and jogging out of the room. You stuck your head back in the door and hissed at Steve. “Come on,” you whispered. He jumped up and quietly slipped out after you as you ran down the hall to his room.

 

“Are you sleeping here?” he asked, looking like a sweet, confused puppy. You nodded and grabbed his hand, pulling him inside. The second the door was closed, he pulled you towards him and kissed you softly, his hand brushing hair out of your face. You pushed him against the wall, running your hands down his chest like you had been dying to do all day. His kisses became more fevered; his hands at your waist keeping you pressed flush against him.

 

“Wait,” he whispered breathlessly, breaking the kiss. You groaned and leaned back to look into his ridiculously blue eyes. “Shouldn’t we wait until the week is up?”

 

“But that’s…four days, Steve, _four days_!” you whined, wriggling out of his grip and flopping down onto his bed face-first.

 

“It’ll be worth it,” he said softly, sitting next to you and stroking your hair. You sighed and moved up on the bed to lie down properly and he copied you. You let your head fall on his chest and grasped his hand tightly, holding it to your heart.

 

“Can you tell me a story? To help me fall asleep?” you pouted, looking up at him. He gave you that small loving smile that you adored and nodded. He began telling you something about a fight he had gotten into when he was in fifth grade but you fell asleep before he even got to the part about Bucky beating the other guy up (that’s how most of those pre-serum stories ended).


	6. Movie Education

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've been gone for months and I don't know what will happen to this story but YEAH I UPDATED AND THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS WOOOO

You woke up, expecting to still be cradled in Steve's arms, but to your panic, he was gone.

 

"Steve?" you called, rubbing your eyes and trying to focus your vision. You sat up, seeing a cup of tea on the bedside table with a note.  _"Training, be back soon, Steve x"_. You sighed and took a sip. It was ice cold. You flopped back down onto the bed and groaned. Just then, you heard footsteps down the hall, but you knew it wasn't Steve. With your heart racing, you jumped off the bed and quickly grabbed the note, and rolled under the bed frame just as the door swung open.

 

"Rise and shine, Cap'n!" you heard Tony's voice ring out. You suppressed a groan and shimmied in further under the bed. "Not here..." Tony mumbled. You could see his expensive shoes strutting along the carpet. Once you heard him rustling about the drawers, you slipped out and tiptoed to the door. You coughed loudly and Tony almost jumped out of his skin.

 

"Having fun, Metal Head?" you said, leaning against the doorframe with a smirk. "Last I checked this wasn't your room."

 

"Checking out my room, were you?" Tony teased, closing the drawer and walking towards you. You stepped out into the hallway and waited for him to the close the door before pushing him away. He threw a look over his shoulder and got in the elevator. You were about to wonder back to your own room when you turned to see Bucky and Steve walking towards you.

 

"Hey guys," you grinned, putting your arm around Steve's waist as he threw his arm over your shoulder.

 

"Well don't I feel like the third wheel," Bucky said, rolling his eyes and Steve kissed you on the cheek. His gaze moved to your hand where the note was crumpled up tightly. "What do we have here?" Your eyes widened and you ducked out from Steve's arm and backed away from Bucky slowly. He pounced, practically tackling you to the ground as Steve watched in surprise and amusement. Bucky caught your wrist easily and pried your fingers open, snatching the note.

 

"Aw punk, how cute, a little kiss at the end!" he mocked with a smirk. Steve blushed, realising what the note was. You nodded at Steve and he grabbed Bucky while you jumped up and grabbed the crinkled paper from his hand.

 

"Jerk," Steve grinned, punching his human arm.

 

"Damn..." Bucky whispered, rubbing his bicep.

 

"Take it easy on poor little James," you exclaimed, stroking his hair. He swatted you away and glared for half a second before he smirked.

 

"Maybe the rest of the tower would like to know your little secret."

 

"Yeah Steve leave him alone!" you cried, slapping Steve on the chest, who looked like a fly had just flown into him.

 

"Bye Bucky," he said with a smile. Bucky waved his hand and wandered back to his room. "I'm pretty sure we have no missions today, I'm gonna take a quick shower and we can do something, okay?"

 

"Sure," you said, holding back the urge to join him in the shower and show him something you could do with him.  _Stupid rule, three more days!_ You went back to your room and brushed your teeth and hair, just to look a little more presentable, despite still being in your pyjamas. By the time you made it back to Steve's room, he was just after getting dressed, _how disappointing_.

 

"I propose a day of movie education!" you exclaimed, as Steve rubbed his hair dry with a towel. You had to stop your eyes from admiring how well a plain white t-shirt could fit him.

 

"I think I'm pretty much caught up," he said smugly.

 

"Oh really? Then who's Marty McFly?"

 

"Um, McWho?"

 

"As i thought, and Ferris Bueller? Can you even name one member of The Goonies?" His silence said it all. You grabbed his hand and dragged him back to your room. 

 

"Today's lesson will be, drumroll please!" you banged your hands off the table loudly, "MOVIES OF THE 80'S!!" You pointed at the couch to let Steve sit down while you rooted through your pile of DVDs by the TV. You put on Back To The Future and settled down beside Steve. He put his arm around you and put your head on his shoulder, which is how you would spend most the day.

 

"I can't tell if this is really repetitive or cool," Steve said, watching as Marty McFly skated along behind a pickup truck in 1955.

 

"Trust me you'll ask yourself that during the entire trilogy." You laughed as Marty jumped over Biff's car and landed back on the skateboard. "He is literally the coolest guy on the planet." After Back To The Future, the two of you watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Dirty Dancing, and the Karate Kid until it got dark out.

 

"I'm so hungry!" you moaned, putting your head down on Steve's lap.

 

"How does pizza sound?" he asked, kissing the top of your head.

 

"Pizza always sounds good Steve,  _always_." you said, sitting up and looking at him in all seriousness. "You know, this sneaking around thing isn't that hard, I'm surprised nobody has come looking for us."

 

"Maybe Bucky or Clint threw them off our trail," Steve shrugged, standing up and stretching. You bit your lip and his shirt rose and showed his toned stomach. You looked away and mentally slapped yourself. He held his hand out for you to take it and the two of you walked downstairs to the kitchen.

 

"Wait why did we come down here... There's no pizza..." you said slowly, looking around and realising they never get frozen pizzas.

 

"Oh... I guess I'll go out and get some." You watched Steve leave while Natasha walked into the kitchen after him, followed by Clint.

 

"I'm telling you now, that's never going to happen," she said, getting a cup from the press.

 

"Why not?" Clint whined, hopping onto the counter.

 

"Because, there is no way in hell that you would live if you dressed up as Fury for Halloween." You snorted, holding back laughter as Clint glared at you.

 

"Fine," he grunted, sulking out of the room.

 

"Ah, you've got to love that kid," you smiled. Nat raised an eyebrow at you while she poured coffee into her cup.

 

"I don't know, I never really pictured the two of you together," she said simply. Your mouth fell open.

 

"W-what? NO! No no, not like that, I just meant, as a person, a friend!" you stammered, so badly wanting to tell her you were with Steve.

 

"I know kid, it was a joke," she winked, sauntering out of the room as if she hadn't left your face bright red. You took a deep breath. Just three more days of this crap. Steve came back with two pizzas about fifteen minutes later and the two of you crept back to your room. 

 

"Three more days of sneaking," you said, kissing him softly. He tasted like pepperoni.


	7. Photogenic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So i started this fic like maybe 3 years ago, and completely fell out of writing fics for a long time but wanted to get back into it and decided to update this one. It's not so fluffy with Steve, but it's just a starting point. I mightn't even continue it to be honest but we'll see!

Tony stared at you from across the room, watching your every move. You couldn’t help but feel like he was analysing you. You shook it off, turning back to Bucky as he was telling you another story about how he heroically saved Steve from getting his ass kicked as a kid. As much as you tried to concentrate on what he was saying, you couldn’t help but feel Tony’s eyes burning into you.

“Sorry, but do you think Tony’s watching me?” you leaned in to whisper to Bucky. He glanced over at Tony in just a split second and moved closer to you.

“I think so, he’s got a creepy vibe off him,” he said, looking uncomfortable. “Do you wanna head out and talk somewhere else?”

“Sure, let’s go get coffee or something.”

The two of you stood up and walked towards the elevator, Bucky putting a protective arm over your shoulder as he shot Tony a disapproving look. You saw Tony smirk and lean back on his chair as he watched you leave.

“That was fucking weird,” you said, shifting nervously as the elevator arrived in the lobby.

“Yeah, I know the guy’s not right, but does he have to be so blatant?”

“I dunno, I don’t think it was him checking me out, it was something else… Whatever, let’s just go.” You wanted to shake off any unease caused by Tony. You and Bucky walked in silence to the quaint café you usually went it. You weren’t sure if it was going to be Bucky’s style however; it was laced with fairy lights, candles, and potted plants, and smelled like lavender incense and earth, but it was always a strange comfort to you. Plus, it was hilarious to watch the large super soldier attempt to sit comfortably on a bean bag. As you got your coffees, he had given up on the bag and was perched on a wicker couch.

“What was wrong with the bean bag?” you pouted, putting the coffees on the table.

“I was afraid it would burst,” Bucky said, and you could almost sense a hint of sadness in his voice.

“Awww Buck,” you smiled, nudging his shoulder with yours as you sat next to him.

“So, things with you and Steve are…?” he started. You held back a giddy smile at the mention of his name.

“Good. Great even! I really like him Bucky, he’s so sweet and wonderful and- “

“Okay I get it, he’s the perfect guy,” Bucky teased.

“Hey man I never get to gush about anyone, let me have this!”

“Alright fine,” he said, but as you looked at him, you noticed there was something different in his eyes.

“You’re just jealous that he’s getting all the attention now, pining for the good old days?” you said, testing the waters to see what his mood was.

“Oh please, he’ll always be the skinny little punk from Brooklyn to me,” he smiled. The look in his eyes didn’t change. He paused for a moment and took a deep breath and turned towards you. “(Y/N) listen…”

“What is it?”

“Well look you’re a great girl and all, honestly I’d consider you one of my best friends.” You felt a surge of happiness in your chest at his words. “And I know I probably don’t need to say this, but I think it’d be on my mind otherwise…”

“Oh come on, you can tell me,” you pressed, shaking your legs in anticipation. Bucky rarely got too serious about things when talking to you.

“Just… I don’t want to see Steve get hurt, okay?” He broke eye contact and twiddled his thumbs absent-mindedly.

“Bucky, I-“

“That’s not to say that I think you’ll hurt him or anything, I’m just, I dunno…”

“Looking out for your friend?” you asked. He nodded. You took his real hand in yours and squeezed it gently.

“You have nothing to worry about Buck. I’ve never met anyone like Steve, and he’s all I want,” you said softly.

 

~

 

Back in the Avenger’s tower, you were laying across the couch with your feet on Steve’s lap, a blanket over your legs and his lap. Natasha, Bruce, and Clint were talking away to themselves, Bruce visibly trying not to get annoyed by Clint. You dug your toes into Steve’s thigh playfully and he smiled and tickled the bottom of your feet. You squirmed, kicking his hands away and stifling a laugh. Bucky strode in and ruffled your hair with his metal hand, but your hair got tangled between two panels of metal.

“Ow, fuck, get it out,” you groaned, holding onto his wrist. When he tugged his arm away it hurt even more and you yelped in pain. He panicked, and moved around to the front of the couch, kneeling down in front of you and gently trying to untangle your hair.

“Well well well, what do we have here?” Tony’s voice boomed across the room. Bucky finally pulled the hair out and his hand slid from your head to your shoulder. He looked up at Tony, who sauntered into the room with an air of triumph, holding something in his hands.

“I have an announcement,” he declared. “Two of our colleagues seem to have been getting’ busy and none of us knew. But let me tell you, they weren’t all that subtle. In fact, I have photographic proof.”

You looked at Steve in panic and his eyes widened and he clenched his fists.

“I suppose it’ll come as no shock to you all that (Y/N) and the Golden Oldie are a thing,” Tony grinned. In his hands were photographs, and he threw them down on the coffee table for everyone to see. “Yes, while we all thought she was fiddling with Barton’s arrow, it was actually James Buchanan Barnes. I didn’t have much respect for you before soldier, but I do now.” He reached his hand out to shake Bucky’s, who just snarled in response.

You jumped off the couch and grabbed the photos. The first one was of Steve and Bucky sparing in the gym, with you watching wistfully in the background. The next was of you leaning close to Bucky to whisper something in his ear, which you now realise was taken when Tony had been staring at you. And the next two were of you and Bucky in the café; one of you holding his hands, and the other of the two of you in an embrace. Out of context, you could see how it may be perceived. You looked up at Steve, who was staring at the floor.

“What the fuck, Tony you creep!” you screamed, throwing the photos on the ground and lunging at him. Bucky caught you around the waist and pulled you back.

“My suspicions confirmed,” Tony smirked, crossing his arms.

“No, they’re not, you idiot. Bucky let go of me,” you growled. He obliged, and you stalked right up to Tony, grabbing his tie and pulling him right up to your face.

“Listen here you little shit. I’m not with Bucky, but even if I was how dare you assume that you have the right to know, or that it’s perfectly fine to take photos of us without our permission or knowledge. Now I know you’re not afraid of getting hurt, so I’m not gonna beat the shit out of you like I want to, so get your act together before I release a press statement about how you’re a disgusting pervert and get a restraining order, huh?” Tony stood in awe, his arms dropped to his side. You let go of his tie and turned to walk out of the room, until you heard the faintest laugh escape from his lips. You spun around and threw a fist into his stomach. “I guess I couldn’t resist.”

 

You practically sprinted out of the room, muttering “two more days” over and over.


End file.
